


The Hall of Summons

by MathiasHyde



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2018-02-18 23:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2366531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathiasHyde/pseuds/MathiasHyde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yagyuu has waited a long time for Niou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hall of Summons

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2011. Inspired by "Of Fingers and Foreskins" by Sara Douglass.

In the Hall of Summons, Yagyuu sat waiting. He glanced occasionally up from his book at the slow stream of people passing across the Hall, but mostly just ignored them. 

It was only at the sound of hesitant, shuffling footsteps that were out of sync with the regular steps of the others that Yagyuu looked up properly, frowning.

He glanced to the source; a well dressed man stepping through the pillars on one side of the Hall, looking around him in confusion.

"Welcome sir," Yagyuu said, standing up and opening his arms up in greeting.

His eyes lingered momentarily on the stain of blood and the tear in the side of his jacket before Yagyuu looked back up to his face .

"Where am I? I have to go, my wife's expecting me back--"

Yagyuu's lips thinned and he forced a smile, something that came easily now after so long. "Don't you remember, sir? You promised to meet her just through there, she's waiting now."

The man seemed struck dumb for a moment and Yagyuu gestured at the opposite side of the Hall. He followed the other's gaze across to the sight of flowers and sunlight through the pillars.

"Please go through and be welcome."

It was a tempting sight and as usual Yagyuu was hard pressed to not put down his book and follow through as well. It wasn't like he would be allowed to stay, he never had been allowed before. It wasn't a place the Keeper was entirely welcome. He had to always come back and watch over the Hall; that was his task.

Just as the man walked into the sunlight and vanished, there were more discordant footsteps and Yagyuu glanced over to see a woman, clutching something to her chest. His eyes focused for a moment on the blood stains on her thighs and down her legs and everything made sense.

The lady looked around her, backing towards the way she'd come but always inexorably found herself repelled. That entrance was blocked to her now.

"Welcome," Yagyuu said, moving forward a smile already appearing on his face. He had found many years ago that the simple act of smiling brought some measure of reassurance to people and made them more willing to step through. It certainly seemed to work here as the woman gave a hesitant smile back.

Yagyuu reached to take the bundle of cloths away from her and she cried out, taking a few steps back and holding them closer.

"Lovely lady, those who have never lived cannot pass through," he said, holding out his arms again.

"But he did live! Inside of me this whole time!" The lady was becoming hysterical, her frame wracked with sobs and she bowed her white head over the bundle.

"You cannot take him through, I'm sorry."

"You can't take him from me!"

While he always felt uncomfortable doing so, even after so many years, Yagyuu drew a quick symbol in the air with a finger and the baby disappeared from his mother's arms and reappeared in Yagyuu's.

It was always hard and Yagyuu regretted somewhat as he looked at the distraught mother kept back by an easily created ward. He opened his mouth to call for a Helper to take the baby away but paused as he looked down at the child.

It was a perfectly formed baby with a tuft of white hair, pale and looking as though it was merely sleeping. The blue tinge of death had been taken away by the Hall and Yagyuu hesitated for the first time since his appointment.

He had long lost count of how many unborn children he had taken away from their mothers and how many he had held for himself and he couldn't understand why it was happening now.

"I can help him," he said eventually. "He will have a price to pay, but he will live."

Yagyuu heard the stammered thanks and the slow reluctant footsteps as the lady crossed the Hall, but he barely looked up until she was long gone.

–

Following the meeting with his mother, Yagyuu had sent a Helper to the other world to look for a new home for the child. From there, the child named Niou Masaharu grew up in his adopted home.

Yagyuu watched from his Hall as Niou grew from bellowing toddler to demanding child. He visited once a year, the kind guardian who lavished him with gifts and taught Niou to look forward to his visits.

He waited.

In Niou's thirteenth year, Yagyuu finally Summoned him to the Hall and stood waiting as he appeared, stepping between the pillars and looking extremely confused, as did everyone that arrived.

"Yagyuu?" Niou spotted him straight away and ran to greet him, finding himself enfolded in an embrace and Yagyuu leaned down to give him a greeting kiss.

"My mum was getting worried when we didn't get a message from you to say you were coming," Niou said, almost accusingly.

Yagyuu smiled. "I was planning on bringing you here. A message wasn't necessary."

Niou took a moment to think before frowning at Yagyuu. "I thought I was in bed just before."

"You were."

There was a long pause. "Am I meeting you on the psychic plane or something?" Niou asked.

Yagyuu paused. "I'm sorry, what?"

Niou laughed. "I had a dream once where we were talking on the psychic plane and if we both remembered it, it would prove dream talking was true." He shrugged and looked around him, "Just wanted to check."

Yagyuu raised an eyebrow and stared for a moment before holding out a hand. "I assure you this is real and not a figment of your imagination."

Niou snorted. "That's what you said in the dream as well." But he smiled and put his hand in Yagyuu's own and let himself be pulled away from the entrance.

Niou stared at the slow, shadowed trail of travellers through the Hall from beside Yagyuu's usual seat in which a Helper was sitting. Just as he turned to look away, there were shouted and screams as the stream suddenly thickened and a group of people ran from the entrance into the Field.

"A pub fire," Yagyuu said. "34 dead."

"What?"

Yagyuu smiled. "It is a start of the first of your lessons." He laughed and tightened his grip on Niou's hand. "Come with me."

He led the way down the Hall. It was crumbled in some areas, great blocks of stone from the tall arches having fallen, the smaller remains still lying across the length.

"This is the Hall of Summons," he said, managing to stop himself from smiling at Niou's answering opened mouth look of surprise. It wasn't hard to guess what the boy was thinking, he was more open than others thought.

"On one side sits the Field of Flowers." Even away from the entrance, he could still see small shafts of sunlight falling into the Hall. "And on the other, is the only entrance to the Hall." They were far enough away from it now, but Niou still glanced back to look at the line of people.

He directed them to a collection of broken debris from a collapsed pillar, pushed up against the side of the Hall long ago by long passed Helpers. Niou scrambled up to the highest position immediately and looked down at Yagyuu.

"My job, is to see them all through."

Yagyuu continued to speak quietly, alternating between looking at Niou's half-hidden face and the small glimpses of the Field he could see. Niou was surprisingly silent throughout the whole thing, listening as Yagyuu spoke about his duties and his Helpers. It was only when Yagyuu finally stopped and asked if Niou had any questions that he finally said something.

"Is this a joke?"

"Why would you think it was?" Yagyuu asked.

Niou seemed to struggle with his answer and he bit his lip, looking around the Hall. "It's ridiculous, isn't it?" he said eventually. "I mean, if it was true... why would you tell me?"

Yagyuu exhaled slowly and stood up, holding out his hands out to help Niou down. "Come on, I'll send you back to your bed now."

"You're not allowed to change the topic, that's cheating," Niou said, sitting on his hands and staring down at Yagyuu.

"I will leave that question, for you to figure out on your own," Yagyuu said. "Come, it is nearly morning."

Niou reluctantly hopped down, dusting off the back of his pajamas and straightening up his shirt. "Do you expect an answer next time?"

"Whenever you are ready." Yagyuu started walking, Niou trotting along behind him, still holding hands. "Lessons will continue until then."

When they reached the main area again, Yagyuu squeezed Niou's hand and pointed him in the direction of the exit. "Don't overthink it, Masaharu."

Niou laughed and just shrugged in response. He accepted the usual hug and goodbye kiss without too much fuss, but paused before fully pulling away. "Are you coming to my house or am I meeting you here again next year?"

"Here again," Yagyuu said. "I will send you a message to your house beforehand next time though."

They shared another polite goodbye kiss and one more hug, murmuring pleasantries before Niou pulled himself free and headed too the exit.

Yagyuu watched him go and continued staring at the mist trailing through between the pillars for a long while before he finally pulled himself away.

"Remain there, I have other matters to attend to," Yagyuu said to the Helper who had just risen from his usual seat.

–

Yagyuu watched and waited in his Hall as Niou grew from demanding child to a far too popular for Yagyuu's liking, teenager.

In his seventeenth year, Niou made his first guess. They were sitting in the usual place and as had happened the past few times, the Helpers had arrived with sandwiches and drinks and Niou sat perched in his usual high spot with the tray, out of Yagyuu's reach.

"Are you grooming me?"

Yagyuu blinked. "For what, exactly?"

He glanced at Niou's face and raised his eyebrows at the flushed cheeks. How strange.

"For... sexual pleasure?"

There was a very long, awkward pause before Yagyuu laughed, hiding his mouth behind his hand and trying to swallow the sound. He failed though, since Niou was looking down at him very crossly and seemed to be turning more red.

"Masaharu..." Yagyuu didn't even know what to say to something like that and he trailed off awkwardly.

"I'm going back to bed," Niou said, moving to jump down from his spot and Yagyuu stood up, putting a hand on his leg to stop him. 

"Masaharu, wait." He tightened his grip on Niou's lower leg until he calmed down, though still looking like he would very much like to sink into the ground. "I'm not grooming you for sex. I don't know _where_ you got that idea from."

"We were studying cases like that at school," Niou said, hiding his face in his knees.

"Ah." Yagyuu moved his hand, reaching up to grasp Niou's hand and he smiled. "I'm nearly four hundred years old." he said, grimacing a little at his own words. Had it really been that long? "Anyone I had those sorts of feelings for passed through a long time ago."

Niou hummed and seemed to relax a little. He showed his face again, if anything.

"So how did you meet me?" Yagyuu may have thought the question was out of the blue if it wasn't for the tense excitement he could just sense underneath the casual tone.

Yagyuu looked thoughtfully at Niou for a moment before answering. "I pulled you from your mother's arms. And I gave you your life."

"But—"

"For a price, of course," Yagyuu said, cutting across Niou.

"Price?"

Yagyuu laughed. "It is the reason why I am sharing my secrets with you."

Niou was silent and Yagyuu followed suit to let him think. He should probably send Niou back soon, it was getting late.

"So, my mother was dead?" Niou sounded careful, and Yagyuu found himself thinking of one carefully testing the ground before putting their whole weight on it.

"Yes, she was," Yagyuu smiled reminiscently. "She was a lovely lady. Very distressed, of course... her kind always are."

"Was... was I dead too?" Niou voice was so small and Yagyuu almost didn't catch the question. 

Yagyuu's gazed softened as he looked at him, squeezing his hand. "Does it matter? You're alive now."

Niou pursed his lips. "I love you, Yagyuu."

"You're very special to me too." Yagyuu smiled.

There was a very long pause and Niou looked away from Yagyuu, his eyebrows drawn together.

"I think that's enough for today," Yagyuu said eventually, offering his other hand to help Niou down. "Come on, you can go back to bed."

–

"So what's in the Field of Flowers?" Niou asked, twisting back to look at the entrance to the Field as they walked to their usual place.

"A state of eternal contentment," Yagyuu said, giving Niou's hand a little tug to pull him away from staring too much.

"And you've been in there?"

Yagyuu paused in his walking for a single heartbeat before he started again and he resisted the urge to look back from long practice. "I've been there, yes." 

They walked in silence for a few more moments before Yagyuu continued talking. "As the Keeper, I am free to travel between the worlds. However I'm not able to stay. Nor am I allowed the ability to be at peace living in an endless Field surrounded by others."

It was harder to see into the other side of the pillars now and Yagyuu allowed them to fall into a strolling pace, nearly at the seating place.

"Am I able to go there?" Niou asked, stopping and pulling back on Yagyuu's hand.

Yagyuu turned around and frowned, reaching out to touch Niou's cheek and he ran his fingers slowly down. "Not just yet." He smiled and let his hand drop. "You won't come back out again if you go now."

"When I do..." Niou trailed off and looked awkward.

"Yes?"

"Will I be able to come back in the Hall and see you?"

Yagyuu was silent and stared at Niou, frowning slightly. It was only when Niou stopped staring back and dropped his gaze did Yagyuu think to reply. "Don't think about that now," he said. "Look, food is here, let's eat."

Niou was very quiet and didn't answer Yagyuu's questions as they at the meal. Yagyuu frowned as he looked up at Niou, sitting cross legged and slowly eating a sandwich. It was worrying, considering his usual behaviour of practically inhaling the first few.

Perhaps finally eighteen years on, Niou had learned some form of manners.

"You said you've been here for four hundred years, right?" Niou finally spoke, putting down his half finished sandwich and reaching for his cup of chocolate instead.

"Yes, that's right." 

"There was a guy before you?"

"It was a woman, actually." Yagyuu smiled reminiscently. "She had been at her post for much longer than I have been when I replaced her."

Niou hummed for a bit and Yagyuu took a sip of his tea.

"How'd you replace her?"

Yagyuu covered his silence by taking another sip, hesitating before he lowered he cup. "She gave me life when I needed it and later I repaid her for it." It wasn't hard to see himself from four hundred years ago, sitting in much the same position as he was now with the previous Keeper sitting opposite him, watching.

"And then one day, I was ready to send her into the Field."

There was silence for a moment before it was broken by a crash as Niou dropped his cup.

"Sorry!" Niou jumped down to help clean it up but already two Helpers were coming over with a mop and broom.

Niou watched guiltily as the suited Helpers cleaned up efficiently and he accepted back the plate of sandwiches. It was only when they'd disappeared back into the distance of the pillar lined Hall did he say something.

"… One day, you'll be sent through too," Niou said, staring at the ground and Yagyuu put a gentle hand on his elbow.

"I still have some duties--"

"I want to go back to bed," Niou said, cutting Yagyuu off and pulling his elbow out of his grip.

Yagyuu blinked in surprise but recovered quickly. "Very well, I'll send you back."

Niou put the plate back down and accepted Yagyuu's hand, squeezing tightly as they walked back to the entrance.

When they got there, Niou was silent through the farewell hug and kiss on the cheek.

"What's wrong, Masaharu?"

Niou just shook his head and continued staring at the ground. Yagyuu sighed. "You can't go back if you're in this mood." he said. "You won't be able to phase into sleep easily enough."

Which would result in a very uncomfortable sudden awakening once Niou got back into the mortal realm.

Niou shook his head again and suddenly reached up to grab Yagyuu's hair, pulling him in for a kiss. It was different to their usual farewell kisses and something Yagyuu hadn't experienced since he'd become Keeper.

The things he'd seen while watching and waiting for Niou as he grew up crashed though his mind and he pushed Niou away as gently as he could. "Masaharu, stop."

Niou looked very angry as he was pushed away and he slapped away Yagyuu's hands as he reached out to touch his shoulders.

"I don't want to see you next year," Niou said, giving Yagyuu a hard shove on the chest before turning and running through the entrance to the Hall, disappearing into the mists.

The Helpers were immediately there, patting down Yagyuu's suit and straightening it. "I'm fine," Yagyuu said, waving them off impatiently.

He frowned in the direction of the mists and there was the momentary thought of following Niou through to make sure he was alright, but he brushed it aside. He had a job to do and it didn't involve looking after teenagers throwing a tantrum.

–

Niou was in a bad mood the next year as well as Yagyuu Summoned him. He appeared as usual between the pillars and Yagyuu moved forward to greet him.

"I'm going back to bed," Niou said, turning around and disappearing the way he'd come almost immediately.

Yagyuu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Niou was difficult to deal with normally but now he was just irritating. He held up a hand as a Helper came closer and waved him away.

"I'll be back soon. Please watch the Hall for me," Yagyuu said, waiting for the Helper to nod before he turned around and followed Niou out into the mortal realm.

–

When Yagyuu chose to at Niou's house, it was afternoon and he knocked on the door, straightening his jacket and pushing up his glasses. Niou's mother answered the door and she gaped at him for a few long moments before he spoke.

"I'm here to see Masaharu," Yagyuu said, looking behind the woman into the hallway. No sign of him. "Is he home?"

"Yagyuu-san? I haven't seen you in years!"

Niou's mother opened the door further and showed him inside, leading him into the sitting room and Yagyuu took his old seat.

"Masaharu's out playing tennis, but he'll be home in a bit."

"I apologise, I should have sent a message ahead."

Time passed slowly with an uncomfortable conversation riddled with silences and eventually Niou's mother went off to make a cup of tea for him and Yagyuu sat alone in the room.

It was only as she had handed him the drink and was going back for biscuits did Yagyuu hear the front door open and Niou calling out, "I'm home!"

Yagyuu closed his eyes as he followed Niou's footsteps towards the kitchen and he listened to the conversation.

"Yagyuu-san's here to see you in the living room, go greet him."

"What?"

"You remember him, don't you? He used to come around when you were younger."

Niou seemed to cut his mother off and Yagyuu heard the footsteps very quickly approaching and he carefully put his cup down, looking squarely at Niou as he appeared in the doorway.

"Why are you here?"

Yagyuu smiled pleasantly and inclined his head in greetings. "You missed your lesson."

"I--..." Niou trailed off and he took a deep breath. "Mum, we're going up to my room," he said, stepping forward to grab Yagyuu's wrist and pull him up and out of the room.

It was almost laughable with the difference in their position now and Yagyuu found himself still smiling about it as Niou slammed his bedroom door behind them.

"I told you I didn't want to see you."

Yagyuu sighed and stretched out a hand in entreaty. "You still have a lot to learn, Masaharu."

Niou bared his teeth at Yagyuu and firmly turned away. "I know what you're teaching me and I'm not going to learn."

"You have to pay the price for getting a second chance at life. I am paying, the Keepers before me did the same--"

" _I didn't ask for this_."

It was bringing up old memories of his resentment when he'd discovered what he was meant to be doing and Yagyuu just managed to suppress another sigh. "Nevertheless, your life was regiven to you."

Niou whipped around and abruptly shoved Yagyuu back, his face furious. "I think I would've preferred to _die_ originally."

Yagyuu recovered easily enough. "Please don't attempt to lie to me, about _death_ , of all things."

There was a long pause. "I'm not going to send you into the Field of Flowers, Yagyuu."

"You don't have a choice. It's your duty. You're lucky I let you remain here for as long as I have," Yagyuu said, and immediately regretted his loss of temper. 

He took a few deep breaths and calmed himself before speaking again. "Very well, I'll leave you this year." 

He moved forward and Niou very reluctantly allowed Yagyuu to kiss him on the cheek, pulling away almost straight away, avoiding his eye and generally looking uncomfortable.

"When I next Summon you, you _will_ learn, or I will keep you in the Hall until you listen."

"You wouldn't dare." Niou sneered at him, curling his upper lip.

Yagyuu paused. "I have been Keeper for a long time. I will do whatever necessary to finally be able to move freely in the Field." He nodded at Niou and opened the door. "I'll see you next year."

–

Yagyuu sat in the Hall, waiting. He kept half an eye on the line of people moving slowly from the misty opening between the pillars to the mortal realm, into the sunlight of the Field of Flowers.

He looked up properly only when he heard footsteps stop and a very quiet, "Yagyuu?"

"Masaharu?" Yagyuu dropped his book and moved over quickly to the entrance, freezing a few paces away as he noticed the slight insubstantiality.

Niou moved forward and greeted Yagyuu with a kiss on the mouth and Yagyuu pulled away very quickly, his eyes lingering on the bloody bandages wrapped around Niou's wrists and the all too knowing smile on the boy's face.

"Looks like I stuffed up your plans, huh?" Niou said, fingering the bandages and looking up at Yagyuu through his hair.

Yagyuu was silent and he pressed his lips tightly together, wordlessly indicating with one arm for Niou to continue through the Hall.

"I still love you the most, Yagyuu," Niou said, already beginning to move towards the other side. "Which is why--"

"Your mother is in the second group of houses on the left," Yagyuu said, closing his eyes and turning away. "She's been waiting to see you."

He could feel Niou's eyes on him and Yagyuu took long deep breaths.

"Will I still be able to visit you in the Hall?" Niou's voice was quiet and Yagyuu guessed he was already on the other side.

He'd avoided this question before as he'd thought _he'd_ be the one in the Field and Niou would be the one in the Hall, but now...

"Only if I Summon you here."

He vaguely heard Niou mumble something but Yagyuu ignored it, keeping his back turned and his eyes shut. His breathing shook for a few before he got himself under control again and by the time he turned around, Niou was gone.

"Sir?" One of the Helpers had appeared beside him and Yagyuu forced himself to look away from the sunlight.

"Please get me a pot of tea and a new book," he said finally. "Something sweet as well."

"Right away, sir."

Yagyuu glanced one more time at the entrance to the Field of Flowers before he moved back towards his chair, settling down in it again to continue waiting.


End file.
